Best Friends
by em91011
Summary: Troy and Gabriela have been like brother and sister since preschool. The only problem with their perfect friendship is that they're hopelessly, and secretly, in love with each other. Will they risk their friendship to confess their feelings? Troyella!
1. Love You Too

**Disclaimer: I do not own HSM or HSM2, although I totally wish I did. **

**AN: Hey, everybody! For those of you who don't know, my name's Emily and I'm writing this fic (well, duh). I've written one fic before, called never wanted to hurt you. I though it was good, at least I had fun writing it, but it was a little bit rushed. This one's going to take it slower. Right now I'm watching **_**Step Up**_** (AMAZING MOVIE), so some of the inspiration comes from that. But I'll shut up now.**

"Hey, Troy!" said Gabriella when she opened her door one afternoon to see her best friend since preschool standing on her stoop. She gave him a hug. A spark, like electricity, ran through her body, but she ignored it. It always happened when she hugged Troy, or touched him at all, for that matter.

"Hey, Brie," he said, running his hands down from her shoulders to her hands and taking them in his. For best friends of opposite sexes, they were always very physically comfortable with each other. He would stroke her arms or her hair or her cheek. She would run her hands up and down his chest, and she often sat on his lap. They were often mistaken for a couple, but they shrugged it off. Gabriella's best friend, Taylor, said that they were in love and made for each other, and that they looked for excuses to touch each other. Gabriella always rolled her eyes when she said it. She didn't love Troy, they were just really close friends. Or, at least, she thought she didn't.

Troy also felt the spark. He didn't know why, but he loved touching her. But it didn't make sense. She was his best friend. He didn't have feelings for her. She was like his sister. But he never could shake the feeling that she was the reason he had never asked a girl out.

He walked into the room, still holding her hand. They sat down in front of the TV and Troy walked over to the DVD player and put in a DVD. It was _High School Musical_, her favorite, but one that he hated. He did it because he wanted her to be happy.

When he sat back down, she squeezed him around the middle and snuggled up next to him. It was Friday, and their movie night. They alternated who got to choose, but he always chose a movie he knew she would love and she always chose one that he liked.

She put her head on his shoulder and he put his arm around her. "Zac Efron is so hot!" she exclaimed when she saw him for the first time, practicing basketball. Troy looked offended, but Gabriella laughed. "Don't worry, Troy, you're very sexy, too."

"Well," he said, smugly, "I think that Vanessa Hudgens is very hot."

It was her turn to look offended. "I thought I was the hottest girl you knew!" They always told each other that they were hot. It felt natural, although it was kind of weird for friends.

"You are. But Vanessa's hot, too," he said, matter-of-factly. "And you never said that I'm better looking than Zac!"

She just smirked. "Sorry, Troy, but I can't lie to you."

He gasped, a fake look of surprise on his face, and started tickling her.

"Stop it, Troy!"

"Not until you say "Troy Bolton is the hottest, most sexy person alive."

She shook her head, gasping for air. He tickled her more.

"Okay! Troy Bolton is the hottest, most sexy person alive!"

He stopped ticking her, a smug smile on his lips. He held out his arm and she snuggled back into his side, resting her head once again on his shoulder. "I thought so."

She giggled and punched him playfully. "Hey, can you help me with the dance? _Please?_"

He sighed. She was doing an audition piece for the musical in their high school. Their school took this stuff seriously, and her piece had to be really good. It was done in a pair, and Troy had agreed to be her partner. A lot of the dance had been inspired by him. "Okay, we'll run it through."

They turned off the movie, cleared a space, and started the music. They started to dance in synch. They danced it perfectly, fluidly. About halfway through was the first lift. Troy stayed in one place while Gabriella ran up to him on her toes. He braced himself, put out his arms, and caught her perfectly, holding her by her waist and one leg, and spinning her slowly as he lowered her down. The dance continued and they went through the steps putting life and feeling into them. The song was almost over, and the biggest lift was at the end. He grabbed her waist, hoisting her above his head and looking into her eyes. She was horizontal, looking down at him. He slowly lowered her down to the ground, bringing her to him. The song ended with them less than an inch apart. As the last notes played, Troy felt a sudden and strange urge to kiss her. But he fought it, and shook it from his mind. She was his friend. The music was messing with his brain.

Gabriella stepped away from him as soon as the music ended, but she kept her arms on his shoulders, and he kept hers around his waist. She had suddenly wanted to kiss him. It wasn't right; she needed distance. It was something about the way they were standing, their bodies pressed together. Somehow their combined hormones made her want to jump on him. After all, she was sixteen, and he was seventeen. It was only natural, right?

"Thanks for doing that with me, Troy. Love you."

"Love you, too," he answered, without thinking.

His eyes widened, and he looked at her. Had she just said she loved him? And had he just said _he_ loved _her_? He backed away. "I've gotta go now…"

And with that, he dashed out of the door. Gabriella was still in shock. She didn't love him! Why on earth had she said that she did? She sighed, and went to her room. She needed to relax.

**AN: So what do you think of the first chapter? I'm not going to write it if you guys don't like it, so you have to tell me. Anyway, next chapter will be more about them… after all, we only know that they've been friends for ages and (possibly) are totally in love. PLEASE REVIEW!!!**

**- EMILY**


	2. Advice and Sisterly Love

**Disclaimer: I don't own High School Musical, or Troy or Gabriella. I do own Zoë! And Andy, for those of you who read **_**Never Wanted to Hurt You.**_

**AN: Hi. How's life? I don't know how this chapter will end, but it'll begin with the two of them getting advice. I hope there's not too much repetition between the two of them!**

Troy's twin sister, Zoë, was sitting on her bed, reading a book when she heard a door slam and music thumping through the wall that she shared with her brother's room. She sighed and put down her book. Troy was respectful, and never put his music on high enough to bother his sister unless he was upset. She knew that he needed some sisterly advice.

Troy heard a knock on his door, but didn't answer. After a moment's pause, a red head of hair poked through the doorway. "Can I come in?" asked his sister. He just grunted. She walked into the room and turned off the stereo.

"Troy, you're trying to drown out you troubles again. What's eating you?"

He had been lying on his bed, tossing a basketball up in the air. But at her words, he sat up and turned to look at her. "Don't tease."

She looked at him solemnly. "I wouldn't tease you when you're like this."

He nodded. "It's Gabriella. We were practicing our dance, and when it ended, I felt like – I – I wanted to kiss her! And then she said, "I love you." And I said I loved her, too."

Zoë looked at him. "And what's the problem?"

"I didn't mean it! I just slipped out! And now things will be weird between us."

Zoë looked at her twin brother sympathetically. "Troy, I know you don't think that you have any feelings for her, but you're not the kind of person who would say that you love someone without meaning it."

"It's just – it felt so right. I didn't even have to think about it."

She nodded. "I'm not going to lecture you – I'll save that for another time. Just think about it." And with that, she walked back into her room, leaving her brother to think about what she'd said.

Gabriella decided that she needed advice. She didn't have any siblings to turn to, so instead she turned to her best girl friend. She picked up her Razr and dialed the number. Taylor's voice answered.

"Taylor, I need your advice. It's about Troy."

Taylor held back a laugh. "What can the problem be? You guys are so in love with each other, he wouldn't hurt you."

"We are not in love."

"You totally are!"

"Taylor, please, I need your help."

"Okay, what is it?"

Gabriella took a deep breath. "We were dancing our routine, and when it ended, I wanted to… I wanted to… I wanted to kiss him! But I thought it was just hormones, so I ignored it. But then I told him… that I love him."

Taylor squealed. "That's great! Did he not say it back?"

"No, Tay, he did! That's the worst part! Because I _don't_ love him! I just think of him as a friend."

Taylor sighed into the phone. "Listen, Gabi. I know you don't want to think that you have feelings for him because you don't want to jeopardize your friendship. But isn't it possible that your subconscious is trying to tell you something?"

Gabriella sighed, "I don't know, Tay."

Taylor understood. "Just think about it, 'kay?"

Gabriella hung up the phone and lay down on her bed, looking at the ceiling. She picked up the basketball that Troy had given her and tossed it in the air, catching it softly before tossing it up again. She wasn't into basketball, like her best friend, but throwing the basketball in the air calmed her. Little did she know that he was doing the same thing next door.

Troy lay on his bed, tossing the ball again. He sighed. No matter what his sister said, he didn't think of Gabriella that way! He decided to call her. He was reaching for his phone when it started ringing. He saw the caller ID and smiled. They weren't just best friends; they were practically the same person.

As soon as Troy picked up the phone, Gabriella started. She wanted to get it over with.

"Troy, I want you to know – " she started.

"That when I said that I loved you -" he said.

"It didn't – "

"Mean anything." He finished.

"I'm glad you agree," said Gabriella. "I just meant it like I love you as a friend."

"Yeah, me too," said Troy. "I love you, but like a sister."

She smiled into the receiver. "Can you come over? Don't come in the front."

He agreed and hung up. He and Gabriella both had balconies facing into their back yards. And they both had trees that they could climb right next to them. They had been having sleepovers secretly for years, and whenever one was upset, the other would be able to come to the house secretly.

That was the route that Troy took that night. He climbed down his own tree, through the gate that their parents had put in the fence that separated their gardens, and up Gabriella's tree. He didn't worry about being caught by his parents – he and Zoë had a pact that whenever one was out of the house without permission, they would cover for each other.

He got to Gabriella's balcony and tapped on the glass of the door that leads into her bedroom. She opened the glass doors and saw her best friend standing outside. She hugged him and kissed his cheek.

"Thanks for coming over. I was feeling lonely." She took his hand, their fingers interlaced, and led him over to her bed until they sat down.

"It's getting late, and I was going to go to bed. Would you mind staying the night?"

"Sure, no problem, Brie." She smiled at the nickname. Nobody was allowed to call her Brie but him – she didn't like being thought of as cheese. But Troy was different. With him, it was a gesture of affection.

She lay down on her bed, and he lay down next to her, holding her around the waist. It would have been weird with any other guy, but again, Troy was different. She snuggled up closer to him and slowly closed her eyes.

**AN: So how was it? Do you think it was too much, you know with the cuddling and stuff? I mean, they're sleeping in the same bed, but it's not supposed to be weird. So let me know. And also, what do you think of Zoë? Review and let me know! Next chapter is called Revelation/ Realization. **


	3. Revalation Slash Realization

**Disclaimer: I don't own HSM. You will know when I do because there will be WAY more shirtless scenes for almost all of the guys.**

**AN: So how's life? Enjoying the story? Good. I'll just write now.**

Troy woke up the next morning in Gabriella's bed. He smiled. He felt her body all around his. He opened his eyes. Their faces were less than a centimeter apart, foreheads and noses pressed together. Her legs were around him as were her arms, and his arms were around her. He tried to remove himself without waking her. Even for them, this was a little awkward.

But then Troy felt it. It was strange, but he felt like he didn't want to get up. He didn't want to remove her legs from his waist. He shook his head and forced himself to sit up and get off of his friend. He left her a note and went back home before her parents woke up.

Zoë heard Troy come in the house. She went into his room to see her twin brother, still wearing his jeans and t-shirt from yesterday, his hair rumpled from sleep.

"Spill," she said, simply.

He smiled and told her the whole story, about how they agreed that they only loved each other as friends, how he had stayed over, and, reluctantly, about what he had felt that morning, about not wanting to leave her. His sister took it all in, and didn't speak until he had finished.

"Troy, I thought you were smart. But, honestly, this is stupid. You love touching her, your cheek tingles when she kisses it. You don't want to be without her for even five minutes. And you say you don't love her. That's what love IS! You've got to face facts. You're my brother, and I'm not going to let you go on not knowing how you feel about her. Troy, if what you feel towards Gabriella isn't love, then love doesn't exist." And with that, she turned on her heels and walked out of his room. He sighed. He hadn't asked a girl out in all of his years, never even had feelings for a girl. He was seventeen. There had to be a reason. And maybe he had found it.

"I love Gabriella," he said in a whisper. It felt okay. It felt good.

"I love Gabriella," he said, louder.

"I, Troy Alexander Bolton am in love with Gabriella Anne Montez!" he almost shouted. He sat there for a moment with a goofy smile on his face. Then he put his head in his hands and sobbed. Gabriella didn't love him back, at least not as any more than a friend.

Zoë was in her bedroom and heard this final outburst. She smiled. It had taken him seventeen years, but he had finally admitted to himself that he had real feelings for her. Now all he had to do was admit those feelings to Gabriella.

…………………………..

Gabriella woke up at ten thirty. Troy was no longer in her room, and she had a sudden wish that he was, so he could hold her. She shook her head. It was too early in the morning to think about things like that.

She went into her bathroom and looked in the mirror. There was a note there from Troy. She smiled. Whenever he had to leave her a note, he left it on her mirror.

_Good morning, Brie._

_I didn't want your parents catching us, so I left early. Hope you don't mind. See you later._

_- Troy_

She took the note down from the mirror and put it in a little shoebox that she kept under her bed and contained all of Troy's notes to her. For some reason, she loved them all and wouldn't throw them away, even the little ones like she had received today. When she had showered, done her makeup, and gotten dressed, she heard a knock at her door. She opened it to find Taylor standing on the landing **(RHYME ALERT!)**.

"Hey, Taylor. Come in." She wasn't surprised to see Taylor at her bedroom door because she often came over unannounced on Saturdays.

Taylor sat down on her friend's bed. "So, excited for tonight?" she asked

"Why should I be?" asked Gabriella, confused.

"You have a date with Lucas. God, Gabriella, it's not that hard to keep track of when you go out with your boyfriend, is it?"

Gabriella shook her head. She never looked forward to dates with Lucas anymore. She hadn't for months. She had already admitted to herself that she had no feelings for Lucas, and she knew she had to end it.

"I think tonight's the night," she almost whispered.

Taylor looked surprised. "You mean you're going to break up with him tonight?" Gabriella nodded.

"I don't have any feelings for him. I'll just hurt him more the longer I stay together with him."

Taylor nodded. "Are you upset that it's over?"

Gabriella considered. "Not really. It's not like I ever loved him."

Taylor looked at Gabriella. "But you do love Troy." She expected Gabriella to defend herself and deny it. But Gabriella just looked back at her.

"I think I do," she almost whispered. With this, she started crying and Taylor rushed over to her. "Shh, Gabi, it's okay. He's totally in love with you."

But Gabriella shook her head. "Yesterday he said he only loved me as a friend. He wouldn't lie to me."

Taylor thought for a moment. "Maybe he hasn't admitted to himself that he loves you. But that doesn't mean he doesn't. It just means he needs time."

Gabriella nodded and hugged Taylor. "You won't tell anyone, will you?"

"Of course not, Gabi, your secret's safe with me. Do you want to call Lucas and tell him you can't make it tonight?"

Gabriella stared into space for a moment. "No, I need to end it now. I'll call him and tell him it's over."

She picked up her phone and dialed Lucas's number. The phone rung for a while before he picked it up.

"Hey, who is it?" asked Lucas, sounding a little breathless.

"Hey, Lucas, it's me. We need to talk," Gabriella said. She listened hard to the phone. She heard a muffled voice saying, "What is it, baby?" and then Lucas's voice answering, "It's her. One sec." She was puzzled. Who could he be talking to? But Taylor, listening in to the conversation, gasped. She had obviously figured it out.

"Okay, Brie, but can you make it short? I'm kind of busy." Gabriella bristled.

"I told you, Lucas, don't call me that!"

Lucas laughed into the receiver. "Come on, Gabriella. You way overreact."

"It's Troy's name for me. Nobody else calls me that."

Lucas snorted. "Oh, please. You call him your friend. I bet you're sleeping with him."

Gabriella gasped. "You know what? I called to break up with you and I was going to let you down gently, but you're a total jerk. It's over, bastard." She closed her phone, livid.

"How dare he accuse me of cheating on him with Troy! I told him he'd have to accept our friendship! I hate him!"

Taylor looked at her sadly. "It gets worse. He had another girl with him."

Gabriella felt hurt. No, wait, she expected to feel hurt. Actually, she didn't care. "I don't mind," she said, "I really don't care." She meant it. She looked at her friend.

"What about Troy?" asked Taylor, voicing both of their thoughts.

"I don't know, Tay," said Gabriella, dejectedly. "I love him. I really do. But he made it clear to me that he only likes me as a friend. I don't want to do anything to ruin our friendship. I can live with being his friend. But I can't live without him."

**AN: This chapter upset me. THEY LOVE EACH OTHER! WHY DON'T THEY JUST ADMIT IT TO EACH OTHER! God, it's annoying. I mean, I know I'm writing it and all, but for me, writing is reading. I can't plan ahead further than the next few sentences, therefore I end up writing like I read. So I don't know what's happening next, I don't know how I'm going to get there, and I don't know why they're not together yet. I do know that they're being idiots, and I know that they'll get together at some point. **

**SO… I was watching Step Up again. I love that movie. I am in love with that movie. I love the actor who plays Tyler. My favorite scene is at the dance when they're doing that thing that the whole school knows and then he has to learn. I actually love all of the scenes that he's dancing, which makes it a plus that it's a dance movie. And now I've got the song stuck in my head from that scene. Does anyone know the title? I need to buy it so that I can listen incessantly. Review!!!**


	4. Passing Notes

**Disclaimer: I do not own HSM. God. And, just for safety, I don't own Step Up, either. Can you stop rubbing it in?**

**AN: I'M WATCHING STEP UP AGAIN! I just finished it and am starting it again. I'm officially obsessed. If you have not seen the movie, you have not lived. I am in love with it. And it is my inspiration.**

Gabriella had resolved to treat Troy normally. She was never the less nervous as she walked in the doors of the school on Monday. But when she saw him, the nerves vanished. She could do this. She walked up to her group of friends, specifically to Troy. She hugged him and kissed his cheek. He returned the hug and kept his arm around her when she turned away, towards the group. She saw her friends – Kelsi, Ryan, Sharpay, Taylor, Chad, Zeke, and Zoë. Zoë had been her friend before Troy – the two girls were on the Scholastic Decathalon team together, and it was Zoë who had first introduced Troy and Gabriella.

Nobody but Zoë and Taylor, not even the love-struck teenagers themselves, noticed that the two were squeezed a little closer together than usual. They shot them glances, but didn't say anything. Taylor had agreed not to say anything, and Zoë and her brother had a code of honor that what was said in the house stayed in the house. Neither could tell, although it pained them to see their friends so in love without knowing that the other one felt the same way.

Just as the bell rung, Troy felt a hand on his wrist. He turned to see his sister looking at him.

"So?" she asked

"So what?"

"Troy," she said, looking him straight in the eye, "You know exactly what I mean. When are you going to tell her?"

"Tell her what?" asked Troy, playing dumb

"When the hell are you going to tell Gabriella that you love her?" she hissed, so only Troy could hear her.

Troy just shrugged. "I gotta get to class," he said, and almost ran away. The truth was that he wasn't intending to tell her. What if it turned out she didn't feel the same way? And then she didn't want to be friends any more? He loved her, and he couldn't live without her. He would just have to keep being her friend. A tear rolled down his face at the thought of what he couldn't have that he wanted so much. He wanted to hold her like only a boyfriend could, he wanted to touch her in places only a boyfriend could touch, and he wanted to kiss her like only a boyfriend could. But he brushed the tear angrily from his cheek. He loved her so much. But as long as he was seeing her every day, he could survive. And even as a friend, he could kiss her cheek, he could hug her. When they rehearsed their dance, he could touch her waist and the inside of her thigh during the lifts. Yes, he could live like that. He could live any way as long as he had her by his side.

Gabriella was in Pre Calc. She was bored out of her mind. This stuff was elementary for her, but the school's system dictated that she had to do Pre Calc before she did Calculus. And she was only a junior, so she hadn't had enough years to do all of the preliminary math courses.

She doodled in her notebook. She started with little hearts. She decorated the whole page ornately with hearts and other designs. She started adding to the hearts. Before she noticed it, her notebook was covered. Taylor was looking over her shoulder and gasped. She quickly scribbled a note and handed it to Gabriella. Gabriella opened it and read the word on it:

_Troy_

Confused, she looked at Taylor, who motioned to her notebook cover. She looked down at the notebook and her eyes widened. In the middle was an ornate heart with the word _Troy_ written in cursive in the middle of it. All around it were smaller hearts with the letter T written on them.

Quickly, she turned the notebook over and looked around furtively. Troy sat next to her, but his attention was resolutely on the teacher. She knew in her heart that Troy had only taken Pre Calc to be with her, and he wasn't the brightest bulb on the tree. This was one of the few classes he actually paid attention in because he had to if he wanted to pass. At least it hadn't been an easy class, or he would have seen it in a moment. She sighed. She would just have to get a new notebook.

She felt another note in her hand. She sighed and opened it.

_When are you going to tell him? He's hopelessly in love with you. You're blinded by your own thoughts that he only likes you as a friend._

She frowned. Taylor was a great friend, but they'd been through this. She scribbled a message on the bottom of the same page and handed it back to Taylor.

_Yes, Tay, I love him. Which is why I can't tell him. What if he doesn't feel the same way? I can't live without him, even if it means only being his friend._

Taylor read the note and started to write back.

_Gabi, you are in love with Tr-_

"Ah, Miss McKenzie **(spelling? Sorry!)** Passing notes in class, I see. Well, you know the rule. We'll just have to read this aloud."

Mrs. Darbus was standing behind Taylor. She grabbed the note and walked back to the front of the class.

"So, boys and girls, let's see what was so interesting that it couldn't wait until the end of class. Ah, here we are.

_When are you going to tell him? He's hopelessly in love with you. You're blinded by your own thoughts that he only likes you as a friend._

Then, it says:

_Yes, Tay, I love him. Which is why I can't tell him. What if he doesn't feel the same way? I can't live without him, even if it means only being his friend._

Very sweet, Miss Montez. I'm sure that the gentleman in question loves you as well. But let's hear Miss McKenzie's reply.

_Gabi, you are in love with Tr._

What a shame! We were about to find out the name of the young man in question. If only I had waited a few more seconds. Now, let this be a lesson to you all not to pass notes in class!" Ms. Darbus looked at the class, her arms crossed and a frown on her face.

Gabriella and Taylor had both sunk down in their seats, faces burning, although Taylor had a small smirk on her face. Now he knew.Chad was grinning ear to ear. He knew exactly who they were talking about.

Troy's face had shown momentary delight when he heard the note, but then it fell and he was resting his forehead in his hands, trying not to cry.

Just as he thought that he could hold in tears no longer, the bell rung and he raced to the bathrooms. He locked himself in a stall and sat on a toilet, his feet up on the lid, as well, so that nobody could tell who he was. He heard the door open and close.

"Troy?" called Chad. He heard him quietly crying and opened the stall door. It was easy to open from the outside, even when locked.

The door swung open to reveal his best friend, his face wet and stained with tears. He wasn't used to situations like this, but he walked up to his friend and put his arm around him. "Let's go to the music room. Nobody goes in there."

Troy nodded and allowed Chad to lead him there. He didn't notice him grabbing the arms of Taylor and Zoë as well on the way. When it came to girls and feelings, he knew he would need their advice.

As Chad had said, the music room was empty. Troy sat down on a stool, again fighting back tears. The girls went up to him and hugged him, letting him cry into their shoulders until he calmed down.

Chad was the first to speak. "Why are you so upset? Gabriella just said she loves you!"

Troy felt another tear on his cheek but he wiped it off. "Nobody said my name. It was just two letters. It was probably Trevor or Travis."

Zoë rolled her eyes. "Troy, she doesn't have any friends named Trevor or Travis. She was obviously talking about you." She turned to Taylor, but Taylor wasn't in the room anymore.

Where Taylor was was looking for Gabriella. She found her in the bathrooms, crying. "Gabriella Anne Montez. Stop your blubbering. Do you know that Chad just found Troy sobbing because he thought you were talking about someone else in your note?"

Gabriella sniffed. "No, he wasn't Tay. You're just trying to make me feel better. I just need to be by myself."

Taylor sighed and went back to the music room. Troy was gone, but Chad and Zoë were talking quietly.

"We need a way to get them together," Chad said as Taylor walked in.

"It tears me up to see them so upset," agreed Zoë.

Taylor nodded. "I think I have a plan."

**AN: So what do you think the plan is? I'm going to explain it right before the next chapter. Right now I should be doing my homework, but this is more fun. And I don't have much homework because Geometry is the easiest class in the world. We've taken two quizzes and a test and I've gotten 100 on all of them without studying. God, it's easy. And boring. It's a sleeping class. You got to read, now please review!**


	5. Capture

**Disclaimer: Disney owns High School Musical. Disney does not write on fan fiction. I am not Disney. 'Kay?**

**AN: So now I'm in Bio and I shouldn't be writing, but it's an easy class, and I don't need to pay too close attention. So I'm writing. Yeah.**

Ten minutes after Gabriella got home from school Wednesday afternoon she got a call on her phone. She looked at the caller ID and saw that it was Taylor. She flipped open the phone and pressed it to her ear.

"Hey, Tay. What's up?"

"Hey, Gabi. A bunch of us are going to a movie. Coming?"

"Which movie?"

"Step Up. It's that new movie about dancing. It'll probably help you guys with your routine. Anyway, Troy and Chad are coming. And Zeke, Kelsi, Sharpay, Ryan, and Zoë. It'll be fun."

Gabriella nodded, then realized that her friend couldn't see her. "I've been wanting to see that! Be at your house in ten."

She closed her phone and went over to her closet. She wanted to look good. Troy would be there.

Taylor was smiling as she put down the phone. She turned to Chad and Zoë. "She's in."

Ten minutes later, Gabriella was at her best girl friend's door. She knocked and Taylor's mom answered it.

"Hi, Gabriella. They're all upstairs." Gabriella thanked her and went up the stairs as quickly as she could in her heels. She opened the door, and was immediately grabbed and picked up by strong arms.

"CHAD! PUT ME DOWN NOW!" she screamed.

Chad just grinned and put her in a chair, while Taylor and Zoë pinned her down. She saw Troy sitting in an opposite chair, pinned down by Chad and Zeke. She was utterly confused.

"I thought we were going to a movie?" was all she could think to say.

"We are," said Taylor firmly, "But first it is my duty to inform you that the movie starts in an hour and it takes half an hour to drive there. And we're not leaving until you look each other in the eye and tell the other person exactly how you feel about them." She looked smug. She knew they couldn't lie to each other. The plan was bound to work.

Gabriella looked petrified. She couldn't tell Troy she loved him!

"Fine," said Troy, "But can we at least have some privacy?"

The four friends exchanged glances. "You can be locked in the room with one other person. We have to make sure that you actually say something. Who do you choose?"

"You can choose," said Troy, giving the girl he loved a half-smile.

"No, you can. I don't really care."

"Let's say who we choose at the same time."

Gabriella nodded. "One…"

"Two…"

"Three!"

"Kelsi!" they said together. Their friends burst out laughing, but left the room, locking Kelsi, Troy, and Gabriella in behind them. The laughter instantly vanished and it became intensely awkward.

Kelsi, seeing that something had to be done, took charge. "Troy, since you're the guy, you go first. Just vent. Tell her exactly how you feel."

Troy was afraid. He was terrified. He couldn't lie to Gabriella. He couldn't not say anything. He would have to tell the truth. He took a deep breath.

"I love you," he whispered. Gabriella looked confused. He had barely said anything, and it was way to quiet to hear.

He noticed this and said it again, louder. He squeezed his eyes shut before saying it, so he wouldn't see her face.

"I love you." He sat, frozen, in his chair, his eyes shut, his fists balled. He waited for the words of apology, the "I only like you as a friend." He waited for what seemed like hours.

But then he felt a warm pair of arms thrown around him. Gabriella had run up to him and hugged him tight.

"I love you, too," she murmured in his ear. He stood up and hugged her back, squeezing her against him tightly. He pulled back slightly.

"You mean it? Like as more than a friend?"

"Completely," she answered him. He grinned, and with that he leaned down and kissed her full on the lips. She seemed surprised for a moment, but then began to kiss him back enthusiastically. Unnoticed by either of them, Kelsi slipped silently out the door.

**AN: I wrote this chapter entirely in school, partly in Bio class and partly when I had free time after finishing my English test. **


	6. Trip to the Movies

**Disclaimer: This part always depresses me. Okay, if I didn't own it the last chapter, what are the chances I'd own it now? And anyway, if I owned it, I'd be writing stories for HSM3! Which Vanessa WOULD be in!**

**AN: This chapter is dedicated to mysupermanwillcome, because I've been reading her story and it's great and also because I'm stealing her quiz idea, so I thought she should have some recognition. Sorry if this person is actually a boy, just most people on HSM on Fan Fiction are girls. So yeah.**

Gabriella was in heaven. Her arms were around the boy neck of the boy she loved and he was kissing her like there was no tomorrow. They just stood there, in the middle of Taylor's empty bedroom, and forgot everything around them. Nothing existed except for each other and their love. Gabriella melted into Troy's arms, almost falling. He almost foresaw this and his hand moved to her back, supporting her so that she wouldn't fall.

Suddenly, a pair of arms wedged their way between them. Forced apart, the love struck pair looked at the arms. They were chocolate – colored. Troy sighed.

"Way to ruin the moment, Chad. Can't you see I was busy?" demanded Troy, before realizing what he had said and blushing.

Chad rolled his eyes. "Yeah, we're all glad the lovey dovey couple are together AT LAST, but come on. We'll be late for the movie. And apparently the dances are the same style as the one you guys are doing for your audition piece."

Troy sighed. He took Gabriella's hand and led her out of the room.

On the way to the cars, which were parked down on the street, the pair felt hands on their shoulders.

"Not again!" Gabriella complained, thinking that their friends wanted something else out of them, "I already told him I love him! Isn't that enough?"

"Told you so!" shouted Zoë and Taylor in unison. It had been their arms on their shoulders. Troy sighed. A big thank you was owed, and he knew his sister wouldn't leave him alone until he said it.

"In the car." Zoë understood, although nobody else did. She and Troy had a connection – they always understood each other. **(This is actually pretty common in twins. Me and my brother have it, and he's two and a half years younger.)**

Zoë, Taylor, Gabriella, and Troy piled into Troy's car and he started driving. "Okay, Zo, here's your thank you. If it weren't for you, I – I would never have even realized that I'm in love with Gabriella. And even if I had, I would still be miserable and think that she only loved me as a friend. I owe all of my happiness right now to you. I don't know what I'd do without you. So thank you."

Zoë was surprised at her brother's sincerity. He was never this real with anyone. It looked like Gabriella was already changing him. She looked at the front seat and saw his hand on her knee. She smiled and gestured silently to Taylor. Noticing the silence, Troy glanced behind him. Embarrassed, seeing the two girls staring, he took his hand off her knee. Then he thought better of it and put it around her shoulders. She leaned against him, putting her head on his shoulder. He just grinned goofily as he drove into the parking lot of the movie theater.

Troy got a large bucket of popcorn, a pack of gummy worms, and a large soda for him and Gabriella to share, with two straws. Even before they admitted their love, they had always gotten that when they went to the movies.

He walked up the entrance of the theater to find Gabriella and Chad arguing.

"I'm just saying that it'll ruin the movie if we have to watch you guys making out!"

Gabriella tossed her hair back. Troy gulped. She was angry, all right. "Just because I love Troy doesn't mean I'm going to throw myself at him! Just because you have no self-control-"

"I DO SO HAVE SELF-CONTROL! Do you see ME throwing myself at Taylor?" He suddenly blushed fiercely. He didn't mean to say that.

Gabriella looked at her embarrassed friend and her anger melted away into laughter. "Sorry, Chad. How about we sit on the end of the row?"

Chad nodded, his face still burning. Troy took her hand to lead her into the theater, but as she left, she whispered, "Go for it," in Chad's ear. She smiled at his face as she allowed Troy to pull her into the dark room. They took their seats, leaving one open for Chad beside Taylor. The movie started, and Gabriella was sucked in instantly. Troy was focusing on his role as the date. He had always put his arm around Gabriella before, but now it was awkward.

_Just do it,_ he thought to himself. He took a deep breath and crept his arm around Gabriella's shoulders. She smiled and leaned into him, her head resting on his shoulder and her body relaxing into his. He let out his breath. For some reason, he was more nervous around her now than he had ever been.

The movie passed and Troy managed not to embarrass himself by throwing himself at her. It was during a particularly sad scene that a tear rolled down Gabriella's cheek and she put her arms around Troy, hugging him close. He put his arms around her, too, and allowed her to cry into his chest. He kissed the top of her head lovingly. It was surprising, really, how little the physical aspect of their relationship **(Big words, BIG words) **had changed since they had admitted their love for each other. But he was okay with that. Her love was all he would ever need.

The movie ended, and they trooped out of the theater and back into the car. This time, Chad agreed to drive and Taylor sat in the front with him.

"And we didn't kiss for the entire movie! So there!" said Gabriella triumphantly to Chad.

"Which means we'll just have to make up for lost time now," murmured Troy in her ear. She happily pressed her lips against his, getting onto his lap so that she could be closer to him. They were interrupted when Chad pulled up at Gabriella and Troy's houses **(remember they're next door neighbors)**. They broke apart, blushing, and said goodbye to their friends before going into their houses.

Five minutes later, however, Gabriella heard tapping on her porch window and opened it to find Troy standing outside.

"What a surprise!" teased Gabriella

"Hey, is it a crime to want to see your -" he stopped. He had not officially asked her to be his girlfriend, so he couldn't really say it.

"Brie?"

"Hmm?" she asked, wondering what he was getting at

"Would you… Would you be my girlfriend?" He looked distressed, as if he was expecting her to slap him and tell him to get out of her room. But instead she threw her arms around him.

"I'd love to be your girlfriend!" she squealed. He kissed her passionately, pressing his body to hers. He ran his tongue along her bottom lip, begging for entrance. She obliged and they kissed heatedly. She slipped her hands under his shirt and he did the same, putting his hands on her warm back and feeling her shoulder blades. He smiled into the kiss, remembering how much he had wanted to be doing this only yesterday. Now he was really doing it. He pressed his chest to hers, trying to squeeze a fraction of a millimeter closer. He kissed and nibbled her neck and she moaned lustfully. They flopped down onto her bed and lay together far into the night.

**AN: UGH! I bought the Step Up soundtrack, which is really, really good, but the songs that they danced to with the violin music are actually backing tracks to real songs, and the ones on the soundtracks include vocals! (The music was in the movie, but the songs on the soundtrack have words). I'm really mad at the company right now. But it was so worth buying. Anyway, what did you think of this chapter? They did NOTHING more than I said; I just want to let you know. So, in imitation of mysupermanwillcome, I'm going to ask you some HSM and other questions. The people who get all of them will get the next chapter dedicated to them!**

**1 – Finish the line and do the next one as well (lyrics). Song: Gotta Go my Own Way. **_**Another color….**_

**So finish that line and also write the next one.**

**2 – What are the names of the two main characters in Step Up? If you haven't seen it, watch it now!**

**3 – This was on my English test today, only we did it for **_**The Odyssey**_**. So, quotations. I'll give you a quote and you give me who said it, whom to, in which movie (HSM 1 or 2) and when. Quote: "Evaporate, tall person!"**

**4 – Another quote! I'm going to be really mean and give you a really hard one. "I know. I've had them." Hard enough?**

**5 – What is your favorite line from either of the movies? So this doesn't really have a right answer, but the three I think are best AND got all of the other questions – or if there aren't three, then whoever got all of the others right. I'm just curious of your opinion.**

**So please review and answer my questions!**


	7. AN SORRY

**AN: Sorry, this isn't a chapter. But I just realized that I totally blanked out and forgot to put in the HUGELY important chapter where Troy and Gabriella get together! So I'm really, really sorry because I sort of ruined the story, but the all-important chapter is chapter five. So again, I'm really sorry, but now you can go back and read it!**


	8. Movie Night

**Disclaimer: Buying the Step Up soundtrack was a lot of money for me. What do you think? Yes, I still don't own.**

**AN: Again, I'm REALLY sorry about the whole mix-up with the chapters. By the way, I fixed the problem on the 4****th**** of October 2007. If you read it after that, just ignore it and pretend I did nothing wrong. Again, really sorry. But I'll shut up and write now.**

**PS. DEDICATIONS: For those of you who got all of the questions right. This chapter is dedicated to: xJoannex, XoMake It Last ForeverOx, HSMLUVR218, and KASAYYx14.**

**I thought the quotes were hilarious, so I'm listing everyone's favorite quotes as well (sorry if I got them wrong):**

Ryan: Maybe we'll get to meet Ashton!

Chad: Next time I see the country princess, I will drive her and her cart in the lake!

Troy: I'll build the ramp!

Troy: Yes, my showerhead is very impressed!

Troy: As long as were together its cool, right?

Sharpay: Evaporate, tall person!

Ryan: Everyone loves a good jazz square.

(When he's about to kiss Gabriella and Chad interrupts) Troy: Yeah, 'cause I'm not busy or anything.

Troy: You know, right now with you, it's finally startin' to feel like summer.

Troy **(wow, there seems to be a pattern in this. Even though there are lots of characters in the movie, most of the quotes were said by Troy)**: Good job, killer, make the ball fear you.

Mr. Fulton: You will be serving Miss Evans.

Jason: Who's that?

Mr. Fulton: Always address our members as Mr., Mrs., or Miss. Let's practice shall we? (To Jason) Miss Evans, would you care for a lemonade?

Jason: Actually I'm not Miss Evans. (Holds out hand to shake). I'm Jason

It had been two perfect days since Gabriella and Troy had become a couple. Since preschool, Troy had used his considerable power over the student body to make it okay for him and Gabriella to be friends, and things didn't change now. You DON'T cross Troy Bolton. End of story. **(Not really. That would make me sad). **

It was a Friday again, and it was Troy and Gabriella's movie night. Nobody else was allowed to come and the couple drove home excitedly. It was their first movie night as a couple.

Troy had long since made sure that his family was always out of the house on Fridays so that the friends had their privacy. He was especially happy about this now that they were no longer just friends. He gave Gabriella a piggyback ride to the door and struggled to unlock it and let them in without setting her down.

He eventually succeeded and went into the living room, setting his girlfriend gently down on the sofa. It took a significant amount of self-control to prevent himself from lying down on top of her and making out with her. But that would defeat the purpose of movie night. So, instead, he asked her what movie she wanted to see.

"You can choose," she said. He smiled and put _Titanic _in the DVD player. He knew how much she loved this movie, and he couldn't help but admit he liked it when she cried into his chest because it meant he could hold her close and stroke her hair.

When he sat back down, she moved to his lap and leaned back, melting into his body. He wrapped his arms around her and smiled, burying his face in her hair and kissing the top of her head. It was during moments like this he knew why he was alive.

As per usual, after the movie ended Gabriella begged Troy to practice their dance and he obliged. He enjoyed the slightly sexual dance more than usual this time, though, because he was allowing himself to enjoy touching her. Even during the most difficult lift, when he lifted her above his head by her waist while flipping her over so that her head faced the ceiling and her hair brushed his face, he enjoyed the feeling of her waist in his hands even with the strain on his arms **(you have to be fucking (sorry) strong to lift a girl up above your head)**.

The dance ended with their faces less than an inch apart and Troy's leg on Gabriella's thigh, pretty high up. **(I'm describing the dance that they do in the showcase in Step Up)**. He really did enjoy holding her leg like that. And he suddenly swooped down and kissed her passionately. He dropped her thigh and moved his arms to her waist as she wrapped hers around his neck. He pulled her closer, deepening the kiss. When they needed air, they broke apart.

"You know," giggled Gabriella, "I don't think it's a great idea for you to do that when we have our audition."

"But it's so fun!" whined Troy. Gabriella just laughed again.

"Let's run it again."

And with that, she started the track again and got into position as the music began to play.

**AN: Sorry that took so long to update! It's just been chaotic and I haven't had much time to update. So, I'm thinking of starting a new story. I have a few ideas. Some are the ones that are written in chapter 23 (I think) of Never Wanted to Hurt You. I'm going to write one more below.**

**Chad Danforth. Second place for the alpha male of East High and best friend of both Troy Bolton and Gabriella Montez. The only problem is that Troy and Gabriella hate each other.**

**So what do you think? It would be Troyella, and it wouldn't actually really be about Chad. It's just an easier way to describe it.**

**This time, I can't be bothered to think of questions, because it's pretty hard, but I'll ask a no-winners question. There's no right or wrong answer. So: What's your favorite Troy line (since those were so darn popular)? I know it's sort of like what I asked before, but I loved hearing your favorite lines last time. There were even some that I hadn't picked up when I watched the movies – and I've seen the movies a LOT.**


	9. Auditions

**Disclaimer: You'd have to be really slow to not have grasped this concept by now, but, believe it or not, I don't own High School Musical.**

**AN: Hey, ya'll! What's up? I'm really cheerful because, although it's a Sunday night and I have school tomorrow, I only have one day of school next week and then it's Alternatives! Alternatives are trips. Everyone in High School goes somewhere in Europe. Some trips stay here, and others go to other countries. Each trip is about something, like photography, scuba diving, water sports, Spanish, French, German, WWII, running, writing, etc. Some are just sightseeing. I'm staying here, but I'm doing cooking every day from 8:45 to 4:00. So that means that I'll get home later but I won't have any homework. So I don't know how that'll affect my writing. I'm very impressionable – I get inspired easily. So there'll probably be some cooking scenes next week.**

**TROY QUOTES!!!**

**(When he's about to kiss Gabriella in school and Chad interrupts) "Yeah, 'cause I'm not busy or anything."**

"**I'll build the ramp, buddy!"**

"**Good job, Killer, make the ball fear you."**

"**You even looked like one, too!"**

"**Talk to me." (I liked this one, too. I don't really know why, but whatever.)**

**And this one was submitted for the last chapter from laughter.is.the.best.medicine and I thought it was a really good one.**

**Gabriella: Here's to the future.**

**Troy: No. Here's to right now.**

It was the day of the audition. Gabriella woke up to a knock on her door with butterflies in her stomach and Troy by her side, his arms around her and his body curled around hers. She snuggled deeper into Troy's arms.

"Gabriella? Time to wake up!" she heard her mother yell through the door. This brought her to her senses fast.

"_Shit,_" she hissed, shaking her boyfriend awake. He looked up at her, drowsy and confused.

"Gabriella, can I come in?"

Troy instantly jerked awake. _Your mother? _he mouthed. She nodded.

"Just a minute, Mom!" she yelled through the door.

"You have to get out of here," she whispered. Troy nodded and pulled his jeans and t-shirt on over his boxers, which he had been sleeping in. **(No, they didn't do **_**that**_**. I would have told you.)**

He raced out onto the balcony and she shut the door just as her mother walked in.

"What are you doing all the way over by the door?" her mother asked suspiciously.

"I was, um, just getting some fresh air," she lied.

Mrs. Montez still looked suspicious, but she just looked at her daughter. "Well, get ready. You need to leave in an hour." Gabriella nodded and her mother shut the door. Gabriella sighed with relief. She opened the balcony door to see Troy still standing outside.

"I thought you went home," she said.

"Not without a goodbye kiss," he said, pulling her to him and softly kissing her. She smiled into the kiss but pulled away.

"I have to go get ready. Meet me outside in an hour and we'll drive to school."

He smiled back. "Love you."

"I love you, too, Troy." He climbed down her tree and she watched as he went through the gate into his yard, climbed his own tree, and went into his room.

She went into her bathroom and showered before getting some breakfast and going outside to meet Troy. He was already waiting for her. He greeted her with a quick kiss and they got into his car and drove to school.

Gabriella couldn't concentrate through all of her classes. This was it – the only chance to prove them selves. There were no callbacks because the school thought that preparing an audition piece was hard enough without having to do two.

When the bell finally rung, she went to the school's locker room to change into clothes she could dance in. While she pulled off her skinny jeans and slipped into a pair of cropped sweatpants, she tried not to think about the auditions. She knew what to do, and so did Troy. They would be fine.

She met her boyfriend in the hallway outside the audition room. They would be doing their piece in front of everyone. He took her hand and squeezed it, giving her a nervous smile before they walked into the big room.

It was full of chairs, and there was an aisle in the middle. At the front there was a fairly large amount of space cleared in the front, which Gabriella assumed was the stage.

"May I have your attention, please!" yelled the director, Mr. Lukes, "I would like all of the students doing pairs auditions for Liam and Rachel to sit to my right and all people doing single auditions for other roles, to my left."

The teenagers started shuffling into two groups. The group of pairs were standing in their pairs, with their arms around each other or holding hands or just standing together. Troy had his arms around Gabriella and she was leaning into his chest. Both were looking at Mr. Lukes.

"All righty then. Singles will go first. First up is Alexandra Adams, auditioning for the role of Mandy." A girl with long, blonde hair walked up to the front and put her CD in the stereo that was plugged into the wall. The music started, and she started a weird interpretive dance. Troy and Gabriella exchanged glances, but quickly looked away so that they didn't laugh. She would definitely not get the part.

Finally, the single auditions were over. The pairs auditions were by the boys' last name, so Gabriella and Troy were third.

"Bolton, Troy and Gabriella Montez. Step right up."

Troy squeezed Gabriella's hand again and they got up and walked to the front of the room. Suddenly, they heard cheering and spun around. They saw all of their friends standing at the back of the room. Gabriella smiled. This would be easy.

Troy walked up to the CD player and put in the disk. He and Gabriella went to the center of the room and got into position. Troy nodded at the kid standing by the CD player and the first note of the familiar song started to play.

Troy and Gabriella were in their element. They forgot all of the people around them as they went thorough the steps. The hardest lift was coming up. Gabriella stepped backwards and so did Troy. She ran on her toes right up to him and launched herself faithfully into his arms.

He caught her perfectly, flipping her onto her back and suspending her over his head. There was a round of spontaneous applause as he held him above her.

Finally, he let her down. There were only a few more steps before the dance was over. They went through them flawlessly before she finally ran up to him and stopped as he took her leg. They both smiled as the last chord rang out through the room.

The whole crowd burst into applause. Troy put his girlfriend's leg down and hugged her. She returned the hug and tilted her head back and laughing, giddy with happiness and relief. Troy took this advantage to lay a kiss on her neck and nuzzle it. Gabriella pulled away from him, whispering, "Not in public," before she took his hand and pulled him back to their seats.

"Good job, you two." Mr. Lukes nodded at them. Now all they had to do was sit back, relax, and watch the rest of the auditions.

**AN: What do you think? Love it? Like it? Hate it? Loathe it? Let me know!**


	10. Cast List

**Disclaimer: Don't own. God.**

**AN: I'm a really bad author because I haven't updated for so long! To be honest, I'm already bored of this story and I'm now really into my new story, Why Can't You Just Get Along. I really like that story because it moves a little slower, but it's still good. And right now everyone's waiting to find something out, and I think that it will turn out well! But this might be the last chapter. Maybe there'll be one more or an epilogue. We'll see. So, forgot to say it in the last chapter. Why Rachel and Liam? Well, my favorite girls' names are Jamie, beause I think it's cute, and Rachel, on account of the fact that everyone says I look like a Rachel. I'm sort of petite and have long, curly, dark hair and chocolate eyes and freckles and tan skin. So everyone says I look like a Rachel. And in my 14-year-old mind, that's a good reason to name you kid that. And I also like the name. My favorite guys' names are Zac (that has nothing to do with Zac Efron, I honestly like the name), Liam, Connor, Ray, Jesse, Sean, and Clay.**

The cast lists were posted four days later, on Friday. But they weren't posted until a little after the last period of the day started. Again, Gabriella couldn't concentrate in class and had butterflies in her stomach. But Troy held her hand tight, their fingers interlaced, for as much of the day as possible and this made her feel better. At lunch, they took their lunches to the rooftop garden at the school. Hardly anybody knew about it, so they were alone and undisturbed.

The last class they had was Pre Calc. The teacher was sick, and they had a sub who had no idea what to do. The sub just decided to give them all a free period. Troy led Gabriella to where the cast list was finally posted.

"I can't look. You look," Gabriela, said when she saw the white piece of paper on the bulletin board.

Troy, still sqeezing his girlfriend's hand, stepped up to the piece of paper. Gabriella kept her eyes closed tight so she wouldn't see the cast list. He held his breath as he read the roles for Rachel and Liam. Gabriella felt him drop her hand and then she felt a pair of strong arms around her.

"Brie, it's okay! We got the parts!" She squealed and grabbed his wrists, jumping up and down. After checking to see that nobody was watching, he grabbed her wrists, as well, and jumped up and down with her.

The sight of her boyfriend, the basketball king, happy-dancing in the empty hallway struck Gabriella as so funny that she collapsed with laughter and Troy had to pick her up to stop her from falling to the ground.

"What's so funny?" he smiled.

"You… happy-dancing," she gasped. He chuckled before softly kissing her.

"I love you, Brie. I'm so happy we can do this together." He put her down and they shared one more kiss before they walked, hand in hand, to their next class.

**AN: What did you think of this chapter? I didn't like it very much. This story is almost over, probably only one more chapter, like I said. Sorry it was so short, but I'm getting a little bored of this story. I'm focusing on Why Can't You Just Get Along, and I'm incubating the idea of another story loosely based on the book **_**Speak**_**. Okay, so I've written a chapter and a half. I've started the first one. Sort of. So, the more you review, the faster I'll try to write!**


	11. Opening Night

**Disclaimer: HEY, GUESS WHAT?!?! I still don't own High School Musical.**

**AN: Hey, ya'll. What's up? This chapter is dedicated to Jg Rox for two reasons. One is that s/he wrote me a novel of a review (141 words. 141 WORDS!). The other one is that she reminded me that, even though I'm bored with this story, I owe it to you guys to write a good ending. So you should all thank him/her :-)**

It was show night. The cast was backstage, warming up their voices and their bodies. Troy and Gabriella were stretching and doing vocal exercises at the same time. The result was pretty hilarious.

"All right, everyone over here!" yelled the director, "We're going to do some acting exercises."

Everyone gathered around him, some standing, some pacing, and some sitting on the floor, stretching.

"Okay, I want you to picture your character in your head. How tall are they? What do they look like? What clothes are they wearing?" Everyone closed their eyes and took a moment to think about the characters they were playing.

"Now think about their personalities. What are they thinking? What are they feeling?" They kept their eyes closed and tried guess what their characters were like.

"Now I want you to try to feel what they're feeling." Troy thought of his character. He thought of short brown hair and bright blue eyes, a lot like his own. He thought of a rebellious, passionate person who wasn't afraid to say what he thought. Then he moved on to the feeling, the hardest part. He was angry and upset with the world. He was afraid. But, most of all, he was in love with Rachel. Troy, now transformed into Liam, reached for Gabriella's hand. But he thought he was holding Rachel's hand. **(From a little while, I will be calling people by their characters' names) **He opened his blue eyes and they locked with Rachel's. She smiled at him.

"Ready to go, Liam?" He pecked her lips.

"Ready as I'll ever be." He grinned and squeezed the hand that he was still holding.

"Places!" called somebody, and they all scattered, to the stage or the wings. Liam came on first, right before the opening number.

………………

"But-"

"I'm not your toy, Rachel!"

"I never said you were!"

"Rachel, I love you. But I can't take this any more," said Liam. There were tears in his eyes, real tears. This was the most upsetting scene in the play. Rachel reached up to touch his cheek, but he brushed her hand away.

"I'm sorry. But I can't do this." And he walked offstage.

………………

It was over. Troy Bolton was to enter on one side of the stage and Gabriella Montez on the other. They were supposed to meet in the middle, share a short kiss, hold hands and walk to the front of the stage.

Troy walked to the middle of the stage while Gabriella did, as well. He grinned at her, softly kissed her lips, and they clasped hands before turning their attention to the audience and walking back to join the rest of the cast at the front of the stage. Gabriella giggled as they joined hands and bowed.

…………………

"You were amazing!" Troy told his girlfriend, picking her up by her waist and spinning her around.

"So were you," she said, before he interrupted her with a passionate kiss.

Someone cleared their throat and the couple turned around to see their parents standing behind them, trying to conceal amused smiles. They both blushed deeply but went reluctantly with their parents.

"Gabi, you were fantastic!" exclaimed Marie Montez. "I'm so proud of you! Now, about that kiss," she added, frowning slightly, "I'll talk to you about that later. Now I'm going to go home. You still have the cast party." Gabriella hugged her mother and went to find Troy.

"Good job, son," Jack Bolton said, thumping Troy on the back. "I'm proud of you."

"Me, too, Troy. That was spectacular," said Lucille Bolton.

"Thanks Mom, Dad," Troy said, grinning.

"Now," said Jack, suddenly serious, "I think we need to talk about that kiss-"

"It wasn't a big deal, Dad!"

"Troy, your hands were in her pockets!"

"Fine."

"We'll talk when you get home, Troy."

Troy nodded and bid his parents goodbye just before Gabriella came up to him and threw her arms around him. "I love you," she whispered before burying her head in his chest.

He chuckled. "I love you, too, Brie."

……………………..

"So," Troy was saying to Gabriella as they sat on a table at the cast party, sipping sodas, "My dad has threatened me with The Talk, on account of the fact that I had my hands in your pockets."

She giggled. "My mom, too, although I hope she didn't notice where your hands were. She would flip out."

Troy looked uncomfortable. "I think we should talk before our parents get to us. You know, about-"

"Yeah. Let's go somewhere private."

They left the gym, where the party was being held, and found an empty hallway where they sat down, facing each other.

Both had trouble thinking of what to say. Finally, Gabriella said, "Are you a virgin?"

Troy nodded. "You know I've never had a serious girlfriend. And you are, too?"

She nodded, as well. "So, do you think – I mean, are you ready?"

Troy considered. "Yeah, I am. I love you, Brie, and I know you love me, too. That's all I need to know."

"I think I am, as well."

"Really?"

"Yeah, it's like you said. I love you and you love me. What more do we need?"

He crawled over to where she was sitting, legs stretched out in front of her and her back against the wall. He knelt so that he was straddling her but his weight was on his own legs. His knees were on either side of her thighs and his forehead rested on hers. "I'm so happy to hear you say that."

He pressed his lips to hers, his elbows and forearms on the wall behind her head. Her arms moved to his neck, pulling him closer to her. She sat up and he put his arms around her waist. He slid his tongue into her mouth and she did the same, exploring the corners of his mouth. Then his tongue met hers and soon they were entangled as the couple continued to make out feverishly. Troy leant backwards until he was lying on the floor and Gabriella was on top of her, never breaking the kiss. He slipped his hands under her shirt, rubbing her stomach and back, and then under her bra. She gasped and moaned as he felt her breasts, stroking them lovingly. They finally broke apart and Troy took his hands out from under her shirt reluctantly, moving them to her back pockets.

"Wow," he panted, "I think that was our best kiss yet."

"That's the first time I've let you feel me up," she pointed out. He chuckled and leaned in to kiss her again, this time softly and chastely. They pulled apart and Gabriella got lost in Troy's beautiful blue eyes.

"God, I love you," said Troy.

"God, you're sexy," replied Gabriella, still looking deeply into his eyes. He chuckled, Gabriella's body moving slightly as his chest rose and fell **(remember she's still on top of him)**. She suddenly glanced at her watch.

"Oh, crap! We're supposed to be home in fifteen minutes!"

"That's plenty of time to get home. It's only a seven-minute drive."

"I don't know about me, but you definitely look like you've been making out with someone."

He looked up at her. Her shirt was wrinkled and up around her middle. Her hair was rumpled and messed up and her lipstick was very smudged. He laughed. They went into the disabled bathroom to try to clean up a little. She wiped her lipstick off of his face and he tried to restore his hair to its original position while she fixed her shirt. He straightened his tie, which he was required to wear on opening night, and she tried to smooth her hair and fix her makeup as much as possible.

"Do I look okay?"

"You always look beautiful, Brie."

"Troy."

"Yes. You look like you've just been to a cast party where no kissing occurred."

She giggled. "You, too. Let's get out of here."

They walked together to his car and drove to her house. They both got out of the car and he walked her to her door.

"Good luck with your mom."

"You, too," she answered before giving him a quick kiss and going into her house.

Maria Montez was waiting for her daughter to get back, bracing herself for the conversation they had to have.

She and her daughter sat on the sofa and she took a deep breath. "Gabi, this is uncomfortable for me, too, so I'll keep it short. I know you and Troy are in love and you're probably thinking about sexual activity, so I would like you to make sure you use protection and that you're sure that you're ready before you take that step."

The words came out in a rush. Gabriella nodded, and her mother let her go up to her room to finish her Pre Calc homework.

"Oh, and Gabriella," Maria yelled up the stairs, "I'll be out tonight. I've got a business meeting and another one early in the morning, so I'll be staying in a hotel overnight. I'm leaving in five minutes." Maria worked an hour away from home, so she often stayed nights in the city.

Gabriella yelled okay back down, and grinned. Her mother was gone for the whole night.

……………….

Troy knew that every talk that Zoë could be included in, she would be. It came as part of the twin package. So he had to dread talking about sex with both of his parents and his twin sister.

Whenever their parents had to talk about something serious with them, they used the twenty questions. They would ask one question, and Troy would answer first. Then Zoë would answer. Then Zoë would answer the next one first. They kept asking questions until they had all of the information they needed, then they lectured.

Troy volounteered to go upstairs to get his sister. That way he could explain to her what was going on.

"They found me and Gabriella making out and my hands were in her pockets," he muttered to her as they went down the stairs. They shared everything, so this wasn't embarrassing for him. He would have to share much worse things in a moment.

The twins sat down next to each other on the sofa. Their parents were in chairs facing them. They had done this before, so they knew where to sit.

"So, let's have Troy go fist," started Jack, "Have you thought about having sex with Gabriella?"

"Yes."

"Zoë?"

"Not with Gabriella!"

"Zoë?"

"Yes." Zoë had a long-term boyfriend called Keith.

"Okay, Zoë, have you talked about this with Keith?"

"Yes."

"Troy?"

"Yes."

"Zoë?"

"Yes."

"Zoë, what did you decide?"

"That we would have sex when we were both ready."

"Troy?"

"Same as her."

"Are you ready?"

"Yes."

"Zoë?"

"Yes."

"Is Keith?"

"Yes."

"Is Gabriella?"

"I don't really think that's any of your-"

"Troy."

"Yes."

"Are you and Gabriella planning to have sex?"

"Yes."

"Zoë?"

"Yes."

"Do you have protection?"

"Keith has condoms."

"So do I," added Troy.

"Have you had sex with Gabriella?"

"No."

"Zoë?"

She blushed. "Yes."

"How many times?"

"Three."

"Did you use protection?"

"Um… we did twice."

Jack gave a short nod. "Have you discussed STDs and Aids with Keith?"

"Of course! He doesn't have anything."

"Gabriella's a virgin," Troy pointed out.

"When do you think it will happen?"

"Soon."

"Are you sure Gabriella's ready and you're not rushing her?" This question came from Lucille.

Troy thought about his answer for a moment. "I'm sure. I've never mentioned it before we talked about it and I can tell when she's lying. After all, I've known her all my life."

Jack sighed. "Okay, I think we've questioned you enough. Now, listen up, both of you. I think that it is only natural for young people of your age to think about sex and possibly become sexually active. You must, however, use protection, if possible two kinds. Your mother and I would prefer that you abstain, of course, but we think that it is normal and we cannot prevent you from doing it. Now, Troy, girls are sensitive about loosing their virginity and it can be painful for them. Make sure you are gentle with Gabriella and that you make sure that she really wants to do this. And, Zoë I am disappointed that you had unprotected sex. It is stupid and you could have become pregnant. I hope you will never do it again. If you do, we will be forced to disallow you from seeing Keith any more. Understood?"

"Yes," the twins said together. They walked upstairs to Troy's room and sat together on is bed.

"You lost your virginity before me?"

Zoë nodded. "Don't feel bad. We both know that I'm the mature one."

"But I'm a guy!" Troy said, frusutratedly. "I'm not supposed to care about that stuff!"

"Do you?" asked Zoë, seriously.

"Yeah, I do," said Troy in a low voice. He had just realized it himself.

She moved so that they were both leaning against her headboard. "And that's a good thing. It means you're sensitive and deep."

"Really"

"Really."

"You know what? I think I'll go see her right now."

"See?"

"Well, a little more than see, if you know what I mean." He grinned.

"Okay, I'll cover for you."

"Thanks, Zo." He went out onto his balcony and climbed down the tree. He was on Gabriella's balcony in no time. He stood there for a moment, watching her lying on the bed and listening to her iPod, rocking to the music. She was wearing a cut off tank tops that showed two inches of her stomach and very, very short shorts that barely covered her behind. She always slept in this stuff, or in her nightgown, but he hadn't seen her wearing it since he had realized he had feelings for her. Now he stared at her, almost drooling, until he came to his senses and rapped on the glass door.

Gabriella looked to her balcony door and saw Troy standing there in a striped blue polo that matched his eyes and low jeans that showed the top of his blue and green boxers.

She quickly got up and opened the door, swaying her hips purposefully as she walked towards him. She smiled, satisfied, as his eyes widened. As she opened the door, her lips were instantly met with is, forcefully. She wrapped her arms around him and he wrapped his powerful ones around her. They slowly moved to her bed and she lay down with him on top of her, supporting his weight on his arms. He moved to her neck, kissing and nibbling and sucking. She moaned when he reached the sensitive spot that drove her crazy.

"God, Brie, that outfit –"

"Like it?"

"It turns me on so bad," he answered before kissing her again. She tugged at the hem of his shirt and he let her pull it over his head before he took off her shirt and lacy red bra. He felt himself going over the edge and he wasn't sure if he would be able to stop himself if they went much further.

"How far?"

She moaned as he kissed her neck again. "Oh, God, all the way."

"Are you sure? We can stop, I don't want to pressure you."

"I'm totally sure. I love you, Troy"

"I love you, too. So, so much."

Without another word, she covered his mouth with hers and her hands slowly moved to the fastening on his jeans and undid the snap and fly. He did the same to hers.

"What about your mother?"

"Away… For…. The…. Night," she panted.

He grinned and started to remove her pants, showing her lacy red panties. She took off his jeans, as well, and then his boxers. He removed her panties and then he made them one.

…………………….

Troy woke up the next morning at six am. He saw Gabriella quietly asleep next to him, wrapped in his arms. He felt her skin against his and smiled. He quietly got up without waking her and got dressed silently. He left a note on her bedroom mirror saying.

_Brie – _

_Didn't know when your mom will come home, so I left early._

_Last night was AMAZING. I love you so much._

_Love, _

_Your wonderful boyfriend, Troy._

Gabriella woke up at seven and saw the note on her mirror. She smiled. Troy could make her so happy with just a little note.

It was a Saturday, and she and Troy always got together on Saturdays. She cleaned up and put on a red cami and skinny jeans, then climbed down her tree and went to Troy's balcony. She knocked on his door and he opened it immediately.

"Hey, Beautiful," said Troy, eyeing her.

"Hey, Gorgeous," said Gabriella, putting her arms around his neck and giving him Eskimo kisses. He grinned and softly kissed her.

"So," she asked, "Where are we going today?"

"I was thinking we'd to the beach."

"The beach?"

"Yeah. Go get your suit on."

She was confused, but went and got her red and purple bikini on under her cami and changed into white beach shorts. She came back out and saw Troy, still standing on her balcony.

"Were you watching me change?"

He blushed. "Maybe. It's not like I haven't seen it before."

She pretended to look shocked and offended. "Troy Bolton. I'd never have believed it of you."

"Sorry, I just couldn't help myself. You're just so damn sexy."

She giggled. "I guess I could forgive you, just this once."

"Good, because It'd really, really suck if you didn't." He nuzzled her nose again, pulling her closer by her waist, and kissed her lips gently but passionately.

They walked left a note for Mrs. Montez and walked to his car. He drove for twenty minutes before he pulled over on the side of the road. He handed her a pink bandanna. "Put this on. I don't want you to see where we're going."

She let him tie it around her eyes and then sat back in her seat, waiting. He drove for about five more minutes before he pulled over. He took her hand and guided her down some steps and onto some sand.

"Okay, I'll take off your blindfold now," he whispered in her ear. He untied the bandanna and she gasped. In front of her was a beautiful beach by a calm lake. The sun was shining and there were birds chirping. Nobody else was on the beach. The only thing on the beach was a big blanket and a picnic.

"Troy, it's amazing!"

"Just like you," he whispered, looking into her chocolate-colored eyes.

………………

The picnic was over and Gabriella had pulled off her beach shorts and cami and was sunbathing. Suddenly, she felt a strong pair of arms scoop her up.

"TROY ANDREW BOLTON DON'T YOU DARE THROW ME IN THE WATER!"

Troy just grinned before running into the lake with her in his arms. He tossed her into the water and dove in after her. He grabbed her waist and pulled her above the surface with him.

"You are dead meat, Bolton!" she said, trying to hold back her giggles. She chased him around in the shallow water until he let her catch him and dive on top of him. She wrapped her legs around her waist and pressed their bodies together.

"This is my punishment?" asked Troy, confused.

"No, this is," she said before kissing him on the lips. But just as he started to kiss back, she pulled away. He frowned.

"Montez, I do believe you're teasing me."

"You think?" she smiled, before going in for another short kiss. Again, she pulled back before he could respond. Again and again, she kissed him and pulled back before he could really get into it.

After a dozen or so such kisses, Troy finally said, "Don't you think I've been punished enough?"

"No, not quite."

"Well then, I'll just have to do something about that." He carried her out of the water and onto the picnic blanket. He pinned her down with his body so that she couldn't get up.

"Troy! Let me get up!"

"Not until you give me a real kiss."

"Fine," she said, giving in to what she wanted, too. Troy grinned and pressed his lips to hers. She immediately responded and opened her mouth to let his tongue in. They kissed passionately until Troy felt her hands at the waistband of his swimming trunks.

"Brie. We're in the middle of a public place. Anyone could see us."

"So?"

"Gabi, come on. Let's at least go back to the car."

"Fine," she sighed. She let Troy gather all of the picnic stuff and watched as he put it in the trunk of his car. Then he came back and carried her to the car. They got in the backseat and resumed the kiss, kissing and holding each other far into the afternoon and evening.

**AN: I'm so sorry for the huge delay, but I at least gave you guys a giganticly long chapter to make up for it! 3610 words and 16 pages! I know I got a little, um, graphic for parts of it, but that's why it's rated T. I hope you guys liked it, I can't go through it 'cause there were so many different sections, but I'm again sooo soooo sooooooooo sorry for making you guys wait so long! I'll try to update sooner next time. But I don't really know weather I'll have another chapter or more than one or just skip to the epilogue.**


	12. Epilogue Part I

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything except for the things I actually own. Which don't include HSM. Did that make any sense?**

**AN: Okay, so this is the epilogue. I'm sorry It's taken so long to update, I've been watching Smallville and it's a show you really have to pay attention during, so I haven't had much time to read or write. Now, I know a lot of you wanted another chapter, but there really wasn't much to write about. Although I might make the epilogue two parts. We'll see.**

_Eight Years Later_

Gabriella Montez grabbed two cans of Coke and flopped down on the sofa next to her boyfriend, Troy Bolton, who she had moved in with after they both went to Harvard – somehow Troy had gotten into Harvard and they had attended together. Gabriella was a shoo-in, anyway, so she didn't have to worry about college.

"Hey, Brie," he said as she handed him his Coke, "Thanks." He kissed her softly on the lips and they snuggled up together before he turned on the movie. It was a Friday afternoon, and they were having a movie night – just like they had when they were teenagers and even before that. They had figured out that it had started when they were only eight, and they didn't want it to stop almost twenty years later.

"So, you remembered our date tonight, right?"

She nodded. "I'm supposed to be back here at eight, right?"

"Yeah. Taylor and Sharpay are going with you to the mall?"

"Uh-huh." She, Taylor, and Sharpay were going shopping together to get her a dress for that night.

"Okay, good, because you're going to have to leave as soon as the movie's over."

She gasped in fake shock. "You would kick me out of my own house?"

"Damn right, I would!" he said, chuckling.

"You know you couldn't," Gabriella said, playing along.

"Wanna bet?" He picked her up and took her to the door.

"Tro-oy! It's raining outside! You wouldn't throw me out there, would you?" She made her best pouting face.

"Aww, you know I can't say no to that face." He turned back around and walked back to the sofa, tossing her down on it. He lay down on top of her and put his weight on his elbows, resting them on either side of his head. He looked straight down into her eyes. "You also know that it makes me incredibly turned on."

He leaned down and kissed her heatedly. She immediately kissed him back and ran her fingers through his hair. He ran his tongue along her bottom lip and she immediately opened her mouth, allowing his tongue entrance and moaning.

"Troy…" He smiled at the fact that he could do these things to her. He sat up with her on his lap, leaving his hands free to roam all over her body. Just as his fingers reached under her shirt and at the bottom of her bra, though, the doorbell rang. They both groaned before getting up and going to the door.

Taylor and Sharpay, standing on the doorstep, waiting for their friend to come out to go shopping, saw immediately that they had been interrupting something. Both Troy and Gabriella's hair was rumpled and her shirt was riding up a little bit. Taylor blushed, but Sharpay just rolled her eyes. "You knew we were coming, and you still couldn't keep your hands off each other."

"Well, it's not my fault Gabriella's so-"

"We really don't want to know," Sharpay interrupted him.

He gave her one last short kiss before handing her over to her friends. "Remember, no earlier and no later than eight," he said.

"Don't worry, Mr. Bolton," Sharpay said, rolling her eyes again, "We'll take good care of her and make sure she's home by curfew."

Troy pulled her close one more time, whispering, "I love you," in her ear before Taylor and Sharpay grabbed her by the arms and forced her into the car.

………………

"So, what do you think?" Gabriella asked, twirling around in a lavender and baby blue knee-length dress.

"Umm…" said Taylor, considering.

"I like the style," determined Sharpay, "But light purple and blue really aren't your colors." Taylor nodded in agreement.

Gabriella disappeared back into the dressing room, this time coming back into the room wearing a long, red, halter-top dress.

"Gabi," Taylor said, "You have amazing legs. Don't hide them."

"Yeah, girl, flaunt it!" giggled Sharpay. Both of the other girls looked at her. "What? I thought it was funny."

Gabriella and Taylor doubled over, laughing hysterically. Wiping tears from her eyes, she went back into the dressing room. Finally, she reappeared in a short, strapless dress. It was dark purple at the top fading to black at the bottom, which was cut in a slant.

Both Taylor and Sharpay were speechless. "Gabs, that dress was made for you! You have to buy it!"

Gabriella grinned. "Okay. Let's go." She quickly changed back into her street clothes and took the dress up to the cash register.

……………..

"No, Sharpay, I don't want to. It's so embarrassing!"

"Gabi, a dress is not the only thing you need for a date with your sexy boyfriend who lives with you and is so desperately in love with you that he finds it hard to be around you for five minutes without touching you," Sharpay said, matter-of-factly.

And with that, her friends pulled her into Victoria's Secret.

"Now, you have to get a really cute strapless bra to go with that dress and matching panties." Gabriella blushed at Sharpay's words.

"Oh, grow up, Gabi. We all know what's going to happen after your oh-so-romantic night," teased Taylor.

"What do you think, Tay?" asked Sharpay.

"I think red lace," Taylor answered. Sharpay nodded and pulled Gabriella over to some shelves, picking out pairs of matching panties and bras for her. When she had eight items, four pairs, she went into the dressing rooms to try them on. After a few minutes, she poked her head out and called to her friends. They squeezed into the dressing room with her. Even though it was a fairly roomy room, it was still tight.

Gabriella struck a pose for her friends.

"You can see through them," remarked Taylor.

"So?"

"So where's the surprise? What are they hiding?" asked Sharpay.

"It's not like Troy hasn't seen it all before."

"That's not the point," Sharpay said, finally, before ushering Taylor out of the dressing room.

Gabriella tried on two more sets before her favorite one. It was red and lacy and skimpy, and she thought it made her look very sexy. She again beckoned her friends into the dressing room.

"Damn, you look fine!" said Taylor, appreciatively. This time it was her turn to be laughed at.

"But seriously," said Sharpay, "You must buy those. We are not giving you a choice." She started to drag Gabriella out of the dressing room.

"Umm, Sharpay. I'm almost naked," she pointed out. Sharpay sighed and she and Taylor waited outside the store for her. She soon reappeared, carrying a small bag. Taylor checked her watch.

"It's six thirty! We'd better get going!"

……………………

Troy heard the doorbell and quickly got up to answer it. Gabriella had agreed to change before she got home, so it was really like a date. It was like he was a teenager again: he was nervous and jumpy. He ran to the door, and then counted to five before opening it so she wouldn't know that he had run to the door.

His mouth opened and his eyes widened. He had seen Gabriella wear lots of things, but he didn't think that he had ever seen her this beautiful. She had gone to Taylor's house first and her friends had done her hair and makeup for her. Her hair was swept back into a low ponytail that was then folded over and clipped up so that her curls cascaded down from the top of her head. Her makeup was natural and flawless. And her dress. Her dress. It was no surprise that Troy couldn't keep his eyes off of her or his mouth shut. Luckily for him, she reached up and gently closed it for him.

He grinned at her. "Brie, you look… you… I… wow."

She giggled. "You look pretty wow yourself." It was the truth: Troy wore a blue striped collared shirt that matched perfectly with his eyes and low cut jeans that showed about an inch of his black and yellow boxers. He took a deep breath and ran his fingers backwards through his hair, rumpling it a little. Gabriella giggled again.

"What?"

"You're just so cute!" she smiled. He frowned and scratched the back of his head.

"Is that a good thing?"

"Yes, it is," she explained patiently, "Because it makes me want to do this." And she softly kissed his lips. After a moment, they pulled apart. He touched his lips absent mindedly, gazing into space. Gabriella put a hand on his shoulder, bringing him back down to Earth. He shook his head briefly.

"Sorry." Then he grinned. "Let's eat." He showed her into the dining room before disappearing into the kitchen and coming back with two plates of spaghetti with tomato sauce.

"Elegant," remarked Gabriella, grinning. She knew Troy wasn't a chef.

"Hey! I made the sauce," he said, proudly. She giggled.

"Good! And the candles are so romantic," she exclaimed. He pulled out her chair and she sat down. The room was lit by only candles and in the middle was a two-seater table in place of their usual big dining table. He set down plates of pasta in front of each of them.

"For lack of anything better to say, dig in!" he said. They both started eating with relish.

"Troy, this is amazing!" she said, after finishing her whole bowl full of spaghetti. He quickly finished up too before helping her up.

He fastened a blindfold around her eyes and took her hand.

"Troy? Where are we going?" He just chuckled and led her through the house.

After a minute or so, he stopped walking. He turned her body so that she was facing in the right direction. He slowly took off the blindfold, letting it drop to the ground. Gabriella gasped. They were outside, in their backyard, right by their pool. The outdoor lights were on on the porch, casting just enough light to see the shimmering water. Rose petals covered the surface of the water, their soft red color contrasting with the blue of the pool tile. But the best part was that on the surface of the water, dozens of floating candles were lit, forming letters and words. They said _Marry Me Gabriella._

She turned slowly back around to see Troy standing there with a jewelry box opened to expose a gold ring with a diamond in the middle. The expression on his face was one of tremendous fear and hope.

"Troy. It's beautiful. I – Yes! Oh my God, yes! **(That's from Scrubs, which I also don't own. Amazing show.)** Troy picked her up and spun her around by the waist before setting her down and covering her lips with his in a passionate kiss. He moved to her neck as her fingers fumbled with the buttons of his shirt, completely forgetting that they were still outside. He unzipped her dress and slipped it off of her. He pulled back for a second, admiring her lingerie. His eyes went wide.

"Wow." She just giggled and kissed him again. She removed his jeans, not noticing that they had landed in the pool. He took off her bra and tossed it aside, kissing her lips hard. He took a step backwards and they both fell in the pool with a splash and a scream from Gabriella. They both broke the surface. Troy was doubled over with laughter, standing in the shallow part of the pool. When he recovered he looked up to see that the splash had put out the candles. He looked over to see his girlfriend, also chuckling, covered in rose petals. He smiled and swum over to her. He reached up and brushed a rose petal off of her cheek.

"Way to ruin the moment," she grinned.

"I think it's a good thing," he mused, a sexy smile playing on his lips.

"And why's that?"

"Because," he answered, pulling her to him by her waist, feeling her bare skin against his **(I dunno if you remember, but neither of them are wearing anything but their underwear)**, "You look even more sexy in the water." And with that he resumed their kiss. They stayed like that, kissing in the pool, far into the night.

**AN: How did you like that chapter? I didn't like it so much, and it took me AGES to write. I dunno why it was so hard. BTW, those lines in the middle were from Scrubs, as I mentioned. Elliot said them right before she took back her "yes" because, being the crazy person she is, she had a huge issue with the fact that the ring wouldn't go on her finger. It was so funny! But the ending was sad. But a lot of times they are. But Scrubs is an awesome show. So, sorry about the delayed update. I'll try to update sooner next time, but I have two other stories to work on, too, which is partly why I'm ending this one. I can't really deal with working on more than two stories at once, which sucks, because I have great ideas for another one. I'm going to put a summary at the end, tell me if you like the idea! It's based on something that actually happened to me! I also have some other ideas that I might make stories out of. Anyway, one more chapter, which will be in a few more years. Review please, it means so much to me!**


	13. Epilogue Part II

**Disclaimer: In my fridge there is a pint of milk. That is pretty much the extent of what I own.**

**AN: I was actually watching High School Musical earlier. On BBC3. Makes perfect sense, right? Anyways, this chapter is dedicated to my friend Kira, for obvious reasons (you'll see when you read). She's not reading this, but I thought I'd let y'all know. Actually, all of the children are named after someone. So that's why the names are sort of unusual.**

_Eight Years Later_

"Kids! Dinner is served!" Gabriella Bolton yelled up the stairs. Her three children ran down the stairs, followed by her husband, Troy.

"I don't appreciate being referred to as a kid, thank you," said Troy, a pout on his face. She smiled.

"Yes, but then I get to see that sexy pout," she murmured, hugging him and putting her mouth close to his ear. He smiled down at her and kissed her. She melted into the kiss, smiling. It was amazing what he could still do to her after all of those years.

"Eww!" yelled their oldest child, Kira. She was seven and always reprimanded her parents for public displays of affection, drinking, and swearing, although neither of them swore or drank much. Troy and Gabriella broke apart, before Gabriella put the toddler that had been in her arms in his high chair and they all sat down to dinner. She looked at the warm, happy scene around her and smiled. Troy was serving their second-oldest child, Matthew, some pasta Bolognese. Matthew was five and an adorably bubbly child. Kira was helping three-year-old Clayton cut up his spaghetti. Gabriella herself was feeding Alexander, their youngest, cut up vegetables. Alexander was two and was still in a high chair.

"Come on, Alex, veggies are good for you!" coaxed Gabriella. Troy laughed.

"Do you want some peas, Clay?" he asked. Clay shook his head.

"Green stuff is icky."

"I'll eat some," Kira said bravely.

"Me too!" Matt said, always copying his older sister.

"Sit down, Matt," Troy said calmly, because Matt had gotten out of his seat to get the peas, "Kira will pass them to you when she's done." Matthew reluctantly sat back down, just as Clayton got up.

"Clay! Sit!" Gabriella said, starting to lose her temper with her children who refused to eat their vegetables and remain in their seats. Troy just chuckled.

"Hey, Clay, Matt. Let's play a game. We're all going to pretend that our pants are glued to our chairs."

"So when we want to get up to clear our plates we have to take our pants off?" said Matthew, squealing with laughter. Troy chuckled.

"No, the glue goes away when you have to get up to clear your plate. But any time you get up without asking me or Mommy, your pants are glued to your chair, so they have to stay there." Their two older boys doubled over with laugher, soon joined in with by Alex, who just didn't want to be left out.

"You boys are immature," declared Kira. It was sometimes hard for her parents to believe that she was only seven, because she acted so much older.

"It's okay, Kir, their just being kids," smiled Gabriella.

"Mommy, can I please go now?" asked Matt.

Gabriella and Troy exchanged glances. "Okay, you can go. You, too, Kira and Clay. Now I want all three of you to put your pajamas on. Kira, please brush your teeth. Matt and Clay, me and Mommy will come up to do yours soon, okay?" The children nodded and trooped upstairs.

"Why don't you deal with Alex and I'll go deal with the rest of them," Troy told his wife calmly. She nodded and smiled. He gave her a quick peck on the lips before following his children upstairs. Gabriella picked up Alexander and took him to his nursery. She put on a diaper and a pair of pajamas before brushing his teeth and settling him down in his crib.

She was walking up to the top floor, where she and Troy slept, when she heard a voice coming from the room that Clayton and Matthew shared. She peeked through the door to see her husband singing the boys to sleep. She smiled and quietly shut the door before bidding Kira goodnight and heading upstairs. Troy soon came up and joined her, sitting behind her on the bed. He rubbed her shoulders.

"Rough day?" He always knew what she was thinking.

"Alex was a little nightmare this afternoon! He refused to go down for his nap and then wouldn't eat his lunch."

He kept rubbing her shoulders and kissed her head. She turned around and met his lips in a long, loving kiss. They both got in the king sized bed and Troy turned off the lights.

"Hey, Troy?" Gabriella asked into the darkness.

"Yeah, Brie?" he responded.

"What do you think it would have been like if we had stayed friends? Instead of dating?"

He smiled and pulled her closer to him under the covers. "That would never have happened. Because you're my soul mate and we were meant to be together. I love you, Brie."

She snuggled into his chest. "I love you, too."

**AN: How's that for a sappy ending! It is really sad, but I'm afraid the fic is over. If I feel like it and enough people ask me to, I'll write a third part to the epilogue. Maybe. So, please review!**


	14. AN It's not a chapter but read it anyway

**Disclaimer: This isn't actually a chapter, but just in case: I don't own HSM.**

**AN: So, a lot of people want another chapter. But I've been thinking about making a sequel about Kira, and a little bit about the rest of the kids. Also obviously about Troy and Gabriella. 'Cause I heart Troyella. So I want to know if you guys want me to write another chapter or go ahead and write a whole sequel. Let me know :-)**


	15. Another AN! Yay!

**Disclaimer: You've heard it before, right? No? Well, I don't own anything!**

**AN: So, the votes are in and I'm going to write a sequel! The general idea is that it'll follow the lives of Kira, Matthew, Clayton, and Alexander as they grow up. As well as Troy and Gabriella as their parents. I'm going to start drafting and stuff soon, which I don't normally do, but whatever. It's going to be a challenge to write and I want to finish at least one of my other stories before I start it because I also want to write another new story (summary below), so I might not start it for a month or so. Hopefully I'll start it sooner, but we'll see.**

**On another note, I'm thinking about starting a new story about something that happened to me. Here's the summary:**

**Gabriella is not looking forward to her vacation. She gets to go to a gorgeous resort in the Maldives, but she's going with Troy Bolton and his family, family friends that she's never met before and is expected to get along with. Will it be a tropical paradise or hell on Earth?**

**I know it sounds bad, and I'm still tweaking it. Anyways, when I post the sequel I'll put up another AN telling you what it's called.**


	16. Final AN: Sequel info

**AN: Hey, y'all! Happy new year! It's been ages and ages since you've heard from me, I know, but I've come to tell you that the sequel is finally FINALLY up. It's called The Life and Times of Kira Bolton. Check it out! Now I can finally say that this story is completed.**

** 3 Emily**


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